It had been long enough. He had let the pack to themselves so their injuries could heal, and now it was time to call them together. He hoped beyond hope that this meeting would go well, after all, the raiders had done well last season, regardless of losses. They had fought bravely, and he wanted to let them know he had not forgotten them. It was early, the earthen male pulled himself to his paws and shook out his coat. He wiped the grogginess from his eyes, trying to wake himself up before presenting himself to the pack. Kimahri rose and stretched behind him, the scraping of claws upon stone wasn't the most pleasant of sounds, but at this point, Dragon had gotten used to his companions morning ritual. Yawning and collecting himself, he then made his way through the halls towards the main hall of the castle. Today, he'd have the meeting within the castle walls, something he hoped the pack would be grateful for considering it smelled wet outside. As he passed some of the old broken arch windows, he would stop at one to gaze outside for a moment. Indeed, there was a light drizzle, but it would steadily get stronger and he knew it would be raining quite a bit today. There was no way he was going to make the pack sit outside in that and let them get drenched, no. Besides, he figured the grand hall would be more fitting for today's agenda. Continuing on his way, the pair came out to the main hall, the castle doors half open as they seemed to be nearly clawing at their hinges. He'd have to figure out a way to fix that for the sake of keeping as much warmth as they could in the castle, as well as a means of defense against potential intruders. Carefully picking his way down the steps, the male moved to sit at the top of the few steps that led up to where the worn out throne sat. Or rather...lied. The intricate chair had been on its side since they arrived, but he wondered if he might one day right it if just to see how comfortable it might be. A new napping place, perhaps? "Do you think they'll be okay with the new changes?" He asked, almost absentmindedly but he sought reassurance and advice from Kimahri. "Why wouldn't they? It benefits us as a whole, and they get rewarded through deeds and hard work well done. It may be different than what they're used to, but it's not a bad thing now, is it?" The idea was to try and implement some of Kimahri's culture into the pack, though the earthen male often worried about whether or not he was doing good enough for the pack..."I guess not...but it's hard to tell with them sometimes. Almost as if they don't like change...but...we've gotta try it out at least, right?" "Right. Don't worry too much about it now, just do it and if they don't like it, there's no harm. At least you tried." Grinning a bit at that thought, Dragon tilted his head back and called for his pack to gather. He had good news for them. Promotions to be dealt with. It would be a good day despite the dreary world outside, and on top of that he had new proposals and ideas to share with them, and he hoped that they would like these new ideas! He was excited beyond measure, and it was evident in the way he sat there with paws barely able to remain still. Then, he waited. OOC//Alright guys I got some new and exciting changes coming to the pack! New customs have been added (See pack page, still working on them but will be finished soon), and this meeting will be also celebrating the "graduation" customs for apprentices combo'd with the ranking up of non-apprentices! Which means that all fledglings MUST POST!!! (Unless on absence) Furthermore, I am starting a Talis pack contest every month starting October 1st with great prizes! Raid details will remain vague since there's no clear winner yet, so any injuries for those whose fights have not yet been completed will also remain vague. New things will be discussed in the meeting, though if you'd like to know a bit beforehand feel free to skype me :) First rounds due Oct. 10th! New potential members also welcome unless a thread of them joining is already in progress <3 Walk, "Talk" Think

ooc:  Just a heads up guys, the healing time for injuries won't start until the raid is totally finished so feel free to rp the ones you know about!  Keep other's vague.

Valdís was resting in the plains when she heard the call.  She'd been soaking up the sun, letting it ease and warm her joints.  Slowly she got to her feet, pausing for a moment to pick a few leaves that had clung to the poultice that was nursing her lower back.  Stretching lightly she limped toward the castle.  It took a bit of going but day by day she was getting the hang of maneuvering on three legs and giving her injured leg a work out when it was required.  She made note to pester one of the healers after the meeting was over to get it changed and her wounds re-examined. She entered the stone halls, her claws clicking rhythmically across the floors until she arrived in the great hall where Dragon awaited his pack members.  She moved to seat herself, pleased that she was the first to arrive. "Greetings, Dragon." "Talk" "You" Think

She had been keeping to herself. A majority of the time she had kept herself studying, for now, gathering medicines and various other plants and adding them to her stash. She had not been socializing as often as she used to, keeping her self in solitude rather than going out and being in the presence of another. She stayed quiet, silently and diligently working for the pack. Her gaze shifted from her medicines when she heard the familiar voice of Dragon. Sucking in a deep breath and turning away from her work, slinking towards the call and moving forward. Appearing, always one of the first wolves to be present to the meetings. She remained silent, however, her carmine gaze gleaming over a wolf she had only seen a few times and then her leader. Sitting down respectfully and curling her tail neatly over her paws. Walk, "Talk" Think

Kharn had been relaxing for as much as he could after the raiding party had made it home. For the most part he was pretty pleased with how everything had gone. His wounds were scabbed over and sore, and he was a bit bruised, but for the most part he felt as though Talis had done well for themselves. He'd managed to catch the tail end of Greed's fight and the blinding the Celestian female had taken. Probably a but extreme, but Kharn wouldn't be the one to say anything about it. In fact, he was pretty proud of the younger male. He'd also happened to notice the prisoner Dragon had managed to acquire. He wasn't quite sure that prisoner was the right word considering Valor was actually family, in some sort of weird somewhat distant kind of way, so he was eager to see what became of that. So far he hadn't gotten close enough to talk to the younger wolf, but it was almost weird to call the white and black marked wolf family. He looked like an Ancora, but those green tear markings were just weird. It was drizzling outside and the matter of rain dripping on the roof of the castle was audible from his room. He'd found himself a nice spot with a mostly intact bed. It was different from the moss and hide bedding he'd had in Ivalice, but he wasn't complaining. It was certainly more comfortable. The nice thing about the spot was that he could hear every little thing echoing through the halls so when Dragon's call rang out he was automatically moving to his feet. It was easy enough to find his sibling. Thankfully they were having the meeting inside as Kharn didn't particularly feel like getting his fur wet. He glanced around to find a poor turn out so far, but maybe he was just early considering he hadn't been too far away. He grinned at his brother before coming to sit near Faine. He hadn't seen much of the reddish healer lately so he was glad to see her at the meeting. Walk, "Talk" Think

Gryphon paused at the sound of his brother's call for the pack. His first reaction was to groan, the sound muffled by the feathered neck dangling from his jaws. Not because it was a meeting, or even because it was being held in the castle, but because he had just managed to kill this truly magnificent peacock. Not that he didn't want to share his kill - he would share it, and he had in fact been hunting constantly for the pack despite his demotion. But he didn't want to share it until AFTER he had already brought the bird back to his shallow scrape of a den and plucked it. Gryphon had happened to glance into a smooth pool of water as he'd returned with his burden, and he'd been so taken with the way the peacock's brilliant iridescent green feathers made such an amazing contrast with his brown-and-black pelt and the darker green of his eyes that he'd decided immediately that those feathers qualified as a Treasure, and he didn't like to share his treasures with anyone else. At this point he had so many little caches of treasures around the pack's lands - some in the borders, some outside - that he certainly didn't need to keep the feathers to himself... but he wanted to. Now he'd either have to bury the bird to hide it, risking ruining the feathers with dirt and mishandling, leave it at his den and hope no scavengers found it before the end of the meeting, or bring it with him and have everyone see it and covet those feathers.

He stopped to think for a long moment and concluded with a scowl that the only logical course would be to squash his - probably rather illogical - feelings of possessiveness, and just carry it with him to the meeting. If he acted casually about it surely no one would think anything of it.

With the bird's long neck in his jaws and the heavy body - and that glorious tail - draped over his back to keep it from dragging on the ground, Gryphon made his way through the skin-crawlingly claustrophobic halls of the castle to where his brother's freshest scent led. His green eyes scanned over the few wolves who'd already gathered, noting with a faint grimness and concern the wounds of those who'd gone to the raid. He hadn't interacted with the rest of the pack since the raiders had returned, so he didn't know how it had turned out or who'd been injured how - he'd simply made sure to keep everyone supplied with food so no one who didn't feel up to it would have to hunt, but had not done more than leave the kills outside various dens and in the cairns he built for just that use.

After that single brief scan he set himself down without fanfare as close to the exit and as far from the others as he could, then busied himself with pretending not to fuss over the peacock he had settled next to him.

The weather seemed to be reflecting Valor's mood today. Stormy with a chance of "I might electrocute your ass if you're unlucky." Well it wasn't that bad outside. The rain trickled down outside, but at this point Valor was wishing that it'd just start pouring down rain, flood the halls of this strange dwelling place, and wash him far far away. How much worse could his life get? Every time he thought he'd reached his lowest point something else happened and it just kept going downhill from there. Mother left - check. Father dead - check. Lost his first fight - check. Taken prisoner by his own family - check. Right now he was just in this angry stage of "what the fuck is going on and why is it happening to me?" Dragon's call echoed down the hallways of where he'd been sleeping and he rolled his eyes in an irritated manner. Did he have to go? Most likely. He grumbled to himself before rolling over and stretching out. He made sure to keep his face rather impassive as too many facial expressions ended up busting open the scabs that Dragon had left. He thought he'd taken his time getting to the meeting, but to his surprise there weren't many there when he arrived. He glanced to find Dragon and a scowl crossed his face before he winced in pain. Ouch. He glanced around to find another male and female that both had been at the raid, and then two wolves that hadn't. The one male that hadn't had an interesting bird that he'd never seen before and he eyed it with slight curiosity before slinking over to a corner of the weird room and flopping on his stomach. He still wasn't sure how to feel about being here but so far he wasn't enjoying it. He wanted to be home. Walk, "Talk" Think

Aodhan hadn't been in the pack for long and yet he'd already noticed something off about the few wolves he'd caught glimpses of. A good portion of its members seemed to be injured in some sort of fashion and yet he hadn't gotten the opportunity to ask why. He meant to track down Avalon and ask her, but he hadn't seen much of her since last meeting her at the borders. Maybe the pack had been under some kind of attack before he joined? He hadn't smelled any foreign scents around or noticed any signs of battle so maybe not? Maybe he would track Avalon down after all and find out. He was just about to head off to find her when a howl caught his attention. Ears flicked towards the sound as it came from further within the castle. The strange structure had confused him at first, but he realized soon enough that it proved to have wonderful places to sleep. Once he learned how to navigate the larger areas he felt pretty comfortable with the place and he came to understand why it'd been chosen as one of Talis' territories. It took him a few wrong turns to find where the call had originated from, but finally he arrived. He assumed he would have been late, but upon a quick inspection he found he must have bee rather early. Crimson gaze scanned the small crowd as he observed them for a brief moment. He spotted Dragon easily enough before he looked at the others. One male that looked like Dragon caught his attention and the bird was certainly eye catching as well. There were a few others as well, but he was disappointed to find that Avalon wasn't there yet. Oh well. He dipped his head politely to Dragon before he took a seat. Walk, "Talk" Think

Afrit was still a bit upset that she hadn't gotten the opportunity to join in on the raid. She'd been looking forward to the chance to prove to Dragon that she was worthy of not being an apprentice anymore, but she supposed she'd have to find something else to do instead. She wasn't sure what that something would be, but she'd figure it out one way or another! She was almost three and she wanted a rank. Either way she'd make sure she got one. It was rainy outside, but she'd never much cared about getting dirty or wet. She padded through the plains with a grin on her face and her tail waving lightly behind her. She had no plans other than the fact that she was bored and was looking for something to fill the time. So far she'd managed to find some pretty flowers. She'd stopped by them to try and see if they'd be of any use to the healers, but she dropped that plan when she realized that she knew practically nothing about plants. She'd wandered around by herself for a little while until a howl from Dragon caught her attention. Oh! Was he calling for a pack meeting? She rushed off towards the castle and arrived, soaking wet, to see Dragon on the stairs as well as a few others. There was a new face among them as well and she studied the weird looking wolf for a moment before she went and plopped next to Dragon and tried to lean in to him to get him wet too. "Hey Dragon!" Walk, "Talk" Think

the colors of my life
are painted in black and white

Armai had been rather busy as of late. Thankfully the herbs had come with the past season's growth and she'd managed to rack up a pretty decent store. Naturally she'd already used some of it to keep up with the various wounds that needed to be treated, but overall she was content that theyd fare alright. With no sicknesses (assuming the damn rain wouldn't bring in any sorts of viruses or colds) to speak of, and everyone's previous wounds healing, maybe it'd mean they'd get lucky and she could get up a nice store again like she used to have.

She was padding through the halls of the castle with Nox when Dragons' howl echoed through the castle. Ears flicked towards the sound and she set off slowly towards the odd meeting place. She liked it better when it was held outside, but mostly because she could navigate on her own more easily than she could inside the castle. Nox pressed up against her side as they entered the throne room and she sniffed around to get an idea of who was there. Dragon of course, as well as a few of his siblings, as well as a couple new scents. She padded over near where Valdis was and took a seat with her companion while she waited for the meeting to start.

She had not been within the territory when the call sounded. She had taken Okami out with her to teach her how to hunt better and make better use of her other senses since her daughter was more near sighted, and so far they'd been successful. Both women headed towards the call with their prizes gripped firmly in their mouths, each of them proud of their accomplishment. Avalon carried a fairly large porcupine, it's quills broken and leaving a scattered trail as she walked. It wasn't easy to nab this one, but with her share of experience, she had succeeded! Today was a better day than usual, she wasn't feeling as down as she had been, but who knew how long that would last. Upon arriving into the castle, she swept past the large oak doors, her coat soaked from their trek. She noticed not everyone was here, and the group was quite small...but she did notice Aodhan was here! Her tail wagged a bit, the woman moving towards him until she sat beside him. Dropping her catch, she offered a smile. She probably looked a lot smaller than usual now that her fur was practically plastered to her frame, so she shook herself, possibly splashing whoever was around her. "It's good to see you," She smiled a bit, her fur beginning to fluff up. She had to admit, she was kind of cold, too...so she was glad the meeting was indoors today. Tanaraq came down and dropped next to her, grumbling the whole time about mud and wet feathers while occasionally giving Avalon the stink eye. Walk, "Talk" Think

Oh he was late, so, so late. He had been way outside the territory collecting some newly grown herbs that grew in the wetter parts of the lands, and now he was caked with mud and soaking wet. He shivered as he made his way back home, stopping long enough to drop his herbs off at his den and laid them out to dry before taking off to the meeting. He hurried to the location, noting that it was inside the castle which he was glad for. It meant he didn't have to sit outside since he was already soaked enough, and inside was warmer. Once he arrived, he noticed that not everyone had gotten there yet. His family was for the most part, but there were some other members that had not yet arrived. He moved to sit near Armai, the small male beaming up at her before he remembered she couldn't see. Oops. "Hiya!" He greeted her quietly, tail wagging as he waited for the meeting to start. He wished he could be in his den right now and snuggle up in there, though he also had to go out and see if Gryphon or someone had any extra furs he could have or trade for so he could make a more comfortable bed to snuggle up and get warmed up in.. "Speak"

Oh she was so proud of herself! Her mom had taken her out to hunt and teach her how to make better use of her other senses since she had poor eyesight. She hated that, but at least she wasn't completely blind. The large girl followed her mother back into the territory when she heard her brothers howl. She wondered what he had in store today, and if it would be good or bad...hopefully good, since she couldn't think of anything really bad that had happened (save for those who had come back from the raid with injuries and whatnot). Clenched between her teeth was an otter. The slippery creature had given her some good exercise and had really made her think on her toes, but thanks to the fact that it lived in and near water, she had a few slip ups that got her going headfirst into the pool. She was completely soaked to the bone, the girl shivering hard as they trekked towards the castle. Once inside though, she shook out her coat as much as she could near the doors and moved to sit by big brother Gryphon. She knew how they felt about her and her siblings, but she never held any hard feelings towards them. Dropping her otter, she glanced at him with a shy smile, "That's a beautiful bird, Gryphon! Can you teach me how to catch something like that?" She was hesitant in asking, but she was truly amazed and enthralled with what he had. She wanted to be a good hunter like him, and wanted to work as hard as he did too. "Talk" "You" Think

Beware, Beware, Be Skeptical Their Smiles, Their Smiles of Plated Gold He was late, though the male didn't particularly care if he was or not. The bruises on him felt sore, the puncture wound and small cuts he had gotten didn't bother him too much. He had taken it upon himself to clean his own wounds, not really bothering to see a healer since he didn't feel his wounds were severe enough to warrant a visit. He had felt accomplished with his work at the raid, his chest swelling with pride at what he'd done. He didn't blind just one bitch, but two. Though had the other woman not interfered with his revenge on the rainbow bitch, then she would still be walking around and enjoying her view...but no. She had to interfere, and she paid the price for that. Greed didn't care who it was, anyone who had interfered would have met the same grim fate. Did he regret it? No. Did his alpha tell him to do that? No. Did his alpha know at the time? Course not. In fact, nobody knew until after he had left and waited for the rest of the party. He had kept the bitches orbs as a trophy, and now they floated in an old bottle he found washed up on the Bifrost. Every time he went to his den, he couldn't help but look at them and feel a grim satisfaction at what he'd done. He had won. He had made his enemy suffer, and not only that but he had taken from them what was valuable. In his mind at the time, the friend of his enemy would also be his enemy. And that's what that second she-wolf was during that whole ordeal. Stalking into the meeting spot with head held high and his chest puffed out with pride, he noticed Ramsay hadn't shown up yet. He hadn't gotten the chance to ask him how his fight(s) went, so he wondered if his brother would show up today. He didn't know what Dragon had in store, but whatever the case, Greed would sit near the back and wait. Deceit So Natural But A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing Is More Than A Warning! [Greed]

So far, so good. It took a good bit before most of them arrived, but he attributed any lateness there was to the rain. After all, he was sure those who had been camping out in their dens away from the castle weren't too keen on going out in the rain, and it seemed most if not all of them were wet. He greeted each member as they arrived (even Grumpy Gryphon), though when Afrit decided to get his fur wet, he shivered at her cold, wet touch. "Oh my God! How could you, Afrit!?" He replied in such dramatic fashion, "How will I ever stop smelling like a wet dog now!?" He leaned away for a moment with a big grin before turning quickly towards her and sought to cover her face with the biggest, slobbery kisses he could. When he was done, he gathered himself together to address everyone else, the male looking at the crowd as he noticed then that there were quite a few missing. He didn't know where they had gone, nor if they were even still around...though he figured maybe they just hadn't heard him or something. Even so, they'd been waiting long enough, and there were important things to discuss. So taking a deep breath, he began. "Thank you for coming on such a...well, less than pleasant day. I know it's been a while since our last meeting, but I promise this one is full of good news." He stepped forward a bit until he was practically toeing the edge of the step he was on. "I was going to try and wait for the rest of the apprentices, but I think we've waited long enough. It's time to get started with...well, quite a few things. So let's get started, shall we?" Clearing his throat, he looked at the pack for a moment before continuing. "I have a lot of new and exciting news today. The first being promotions for those who have excelled in their duties, and who have proven their worth to the pack. I would like to congratulate those who have fought hard in their first raid, whether or not you won or lost, you should be proud of yourselves. I know there was great risk involved, but you're here. You're alive. You're home. And that's what matters." He fell silent for a moment, knowing that there indeed had been a great risk. And in the future, there would probably be more. "I would like to start by promoting our Fledgelings, who I believe have been overdue for proper places among the pack. Greed, you will be promoted to the rank of Knight. Arke, you are promoted to the rank of Mage. Afrit, you are promoted to the rank of Guardian. Okami, you are promoted to the rank of Guardian..." He looked to each in turn, though was disappointed that there were some apprentices that had not been present to receive their promotions today. "Should you all decide you would like to pursue a different rank, please let me know." Now that the former apprentices were settled, he moved on to the others. "Valdis...I'd like to promote you to the rank of Crimson Crusader. If you feel you'd like to pursue another rank, let me know," He looked at her, proud that she had been on the front lines during their assault and had been brave enough to take on Celestial's alpha. Then, his gaze turned to Gryphon. He had thought long and hard about what to do with his brother, but no matter what he tried to think, he just couldn't keep his brother where he was. He had meant to pull him out of his current rank sooner, but he had just been too busy up until now. "Gryphon, I'd like to promote you to the rank of Crimson Fang. You've been doing exceptionally well with your hunting despite the position you were in, and I was a fool to attempt to remove you from your former position. Forgive me..." He knew that despite their fights and arguments and everything in between, his brother had not abandoned his duties among other things. He felt his brother deserved the position. "I'd also like to speak with you after this." He kept his gaze on him a moment longer before moving on. His gaze fell on Valor then. He could see that his cousin was miserable, scared possibly. He was after all, currently a prisoner within the pack. That wasn't why he had challenged his cousin, however. "I would like to take this opportunity to introduce a new face among us. Valor Ancora, son of Creed Ancora who was a cousin of ours." His gaze hardened a bit then as he recalled what had been learned about Creed. "It may seem obvious by namesake, but Creed was a very much loved family member of ours. Which brings me to alert you about a potential murderer in the lands...I shouldn't have to go into detail, but I urge you all to keep your eyes and ears peeled. Any information found about those who might have committed such crimes are to come and tell me as soon as possible." He rolled his shoulders to keep his hackles from rising, calming himself before he got worked up. He didn't want to say too much about the incident while Valor was here, the earthen male not wanting to put Valor through the memories again. "Valor, you are not a prisoner of Talis. You will be ranked as a Zygon for the time being, which means you are a regular member. I would like to speak with you in private later to discuss things further." He still had more he wanted to say, and figured perhaps he oughta get it all out now instead of prolonging it. But where to start or finish...? "Another thing, all those promoted from apprentice ranks into full ranks will be getting accessories of their choosing, or chosen by my. The ranks you go into will decide what you may choose, and these go for all those who get promoted, not just graduating apprentices. If anyone is not satisfied with their ranks, or would like to discuss advancing, please come speak to me. Rank challenges are accepted within Talis, so you only need to come to me to request it. Furthermore, I would like to add that all members need to train in fighting at least once or twice per season, we must keep at the ready at all times for future raids, or the event we need to defend ourselves. I'd also like to add that we will be holding more festivals and ceremonies soon, and those are currently in development. If you've any ideas yourself, please come and share your ideas and we will see what we can do. The pack is always evolving, and I feel that everyone's voice should be heard. No idea is a bad idea, and I'm always around to talk to." OOC// SO sorry for the super late post, i've been dealing with a lot of personal crap all month...for now, look at the pack page for new ceremonies, etc and pretend dragon talked about them. Some ideas still need to be finished but feel free to suggest some things and more than likely they'll be added. I kinda ran out of energy to post that portion. Second rounds are mandatory and must be posted by 11/11. For the accessories, you may ask me what your character can request via skype or pming Dragon or you may let Dragon choose what your character receives. Any other questions you may pm or skype me, thanks for waiting and sorry again! Walk, "Talk" Think

The trail had grown cold and she was left frustrated, tired, and slightly hungry. She was giving up, not knowing where cousin Clay had gotten to. Her only problem now had been where to go from here which made her thoughts drift back to the alpha she had met on the shores. He had smelled heavily of other wolves, which more then likely meant a thriving pack. Being out alone hadn't been as fun as she had thought and the young women was wanting the company of others. Growing up in a large family unit you always had somebody to hang out with, but wandering around didn't have that. She was curious of the pack this male had thrived in, the one Dragon was in charge of. She was curious to know how a pack worked. She could imagine that it couldn't be too much different from back home. For days she had spent time looking for Dragon's scent, or a scent that bore the same pack smell. It took her a while to find an old trail and from there she attempted to fallow it. It wasn't long though before s call rang out in the distance making her pause and listen. It was a call to a pack which made her ears perk. This had to be the pack Dragon ruled and to top it off there was an open invitation to it. Her tail wagged slightly before she took off towards where the howl had come from, she wanted to get there at a timely manner, but not knowing the area made it a little difficult for her. She had gotten herself a little lost in God's garden and it took her a decent amount of time to find her way out. When she arrived she was late, getting there just in time for Dragon to once again speak. She stayed towards the back of the group, not wanting to disturb or distract anyone from hearing what Dragon had to say. Sitting, she pinned her ears forward to take in his words. Her tail lightly wagged as she looked around at all the backs of the other members. She would have to catch up with Dragon after the meeting to talk to him and learn more on the pack. She was pretty sure she was going to join, but as far as Rank she was clueless about them. The ceremonies and things sounded awesome on her personal opinion and it made her excited to learn more. "Speech" & "Think'

One by one the wolves of Talis filed in. Their injuries still raw and healing but they were all alive, there was that at least. The raid had been something of a learning experience and Valdís had taken several things away from it and hoped to apply these lessons in the next raid the pack conducted. However, she didn't think it would be a good idea to hold another until next year. They still had much to learn and both healing and training needed to happen. Her attention was caught by the brilliantly colored bird Gryphon had brought in with him. She made note to ask him about the bird when she had a moment but soon enough the meeting started. Valdís listened attentively as Dragon ran through the meeting business and she grinned with pride and surprise when she was promoted to Crimson Crusader. She was glad her battle with the alpha had gotten her some attention. In that way she had achieved her goal. Dragon asked for ideas but Valdís opted to remain silent and listen this time. She hadn't been with the pack long enough to really sleuth out what changes or ideas might be beneficial. She'd pretty much joined and jumped right into the raid. She was happy to hold fight training but she wanted to give the members of Talis some time to heal from their injuries before new ones were afflicted. The news though of a murderer had caught her interest but as she hand nothing to add she did not speak up. "Talk" "You" Think

The rest of the pack began trickling in and to his relief even the few who happened to glance over at him - and his amazing find - didn't do more than just that before finding seats elsewhere. Avalon had carried in a porcupine, and Gryphon studied THAT with some interest as he waited impatiently for the meeting to hurry up and get started so it could be over. He wondered if there was something useful he could do with the quills from a porcupine... they weren't the same as northern porcupines, he knew, but the quills could surely be used for something.

While he was concentrating on that rather than the wolves still entering, he had apparently been approached, and it was all he could do not to jump out of his skin at the suddenness of being addressed. His head whipped sharply about to meet the speaker, and he had to stop himself from scooting his precious bird away before she could covet his feathers. "It's just a peacock," he said in a rough voice, trying to be nonchalant about it and probably failing miserably. "Catching them is not a big deal if you do it before they fly up to roost. The males have spurs though. I'll teach you some other time. Oh look Dragon's starting the meeting." In his desperation to keep his Treasure all to himself and to keep her distracted from it, Gryphon didn't even stop to consider - or even to realize - that he'd just agreed to spend time with one of Vereux's kids. All he wanted to do was move her attention away from the bird and to Dragon where it belonged.

Besides, Dragon really was starting the meeting, though he immediately started it with speaking of the raid. Gryphon felt a sour feeling in his throat, glancing around at the wolves who'd gone out on the raid. At their healing injuries. He didn't believe it had been worth it, whatever Dragon may claim, and he had the sick feeling that they hadn't faced the last of the consequences of it yet either. But he kept his jaws firmly shut, not wanting to diminish the raiders' self pride either.

The alpha moved on to promotions, promoting the young wolves out of their apprentice ranks and moving them into the proper adult ranks. Or, the apprentices that were there, anyway. Gryphon's brow knotted in concern upon realizing that none of Esa's family had made it to the meeting. Had they been that badly injured in the raid as to not be able to join them there? He should have made it a point to find out.

He was startled to hear Dragon speak his name, and turned his attention back to the alpha in time to receive a promotion out of omega... and skipping his old rank right into the elite hunters' ranks. Gryphon could only blink silently at Dragon, not really sure what to say to accept it or if he should accept it at all, but the moment had passed quickly and Dragon was already moving on.

He introduced a new member as being one of their cousins, which interested Gryphon who had not yet met any of the other Ancoras, but immediate confusion followed on its heels at Dragon's next words. Prisoner? Why would the boy have thought he was a prisoner? Oh for goodness sake... Gryphon squeezed shut his eyes and resisted the urge to rub at suddenly aching temples. What had his brother gone and done now?

Distracted by this latest of potential problems, he couldn't put a whole lot of thought into what he might want as a symbol of his rank, though he supposed he should make a point to do so. It sounded like it was important to Dragon, anyway, though Gryphon usually preferred to hide his Treasures away rather than wearing them.